Trick Your Hormones, Shrink Your Gut

The problem: After you quit cutting calories, two hunger-generating hormones—ghrelin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide—are still surging through your bloodstream, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Meanwhile, levels of those hormones that send signals of fullness to your brain—such as leptin, peptide YY, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide—remain depressingly low. The result? You feel famished, even when you’re eating enough to maintain your new, lean physique.

“The majority of dieters regain the weight eventually,” says study author Joseph Proietto, Ph. D., from the University of Melbourne. His findings indicate it isn’t just due to a failure of willpower. Scientists can’t yet explain why the hormonal changes happen, but Proietto says it’s more evidence your body has a set weight at which it’s happiest—and it fights to stay there, despite the potential health problems obesity can cause.

Eventually, experts may be able to develop drugs that thwart this hormonal conspiracy. In the meantime, follow these tips to keep hunger at bay:

• Learn from others’ successes. Research shows people who effectively keep weight off have a few habits in common, Prioetto says. They weigh themselves regularly, eat breakfast, and exercise at least an hour a day.

• Fill up on protein. Another recent study suggests that when you skimp on this nutrient, your appetite grows. Aim for 75 to 100 grams of protein per day—about 15 to 25 percent of your daily calories.

• Skip the sugar. When you overdose on sweet stuff, your brain doesn’t respond to leptin, even when it’s present. The American Heart Association recommends men limit their added sugars (those not found naturally in fruits and other whole foods) to 150 calories per day—that’s 9 teaspoons. Start by ditching sodas and juices; just one 12-ounce can of regular cola sets you back 8 teaspoons.

Cindy KuzmaContributing WriterCindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013.

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